Pouya Bashivan 🇮🇷🇨🇦
@bashivan.bsky.social
Husband, dad, computational neuroscientist, @mcgillu.bsky.social and Mila
Reposted by Pouya Bashivan 🇮🇷🇨🇦
I’m looking for interns to join our lab for a project on foundation models in neuroscience.
Funded by @ivado.bsky.social and in collaboration with the IVADO regroupement 1 (AI and Neuroscience: ivado.ca/en/regroupem...).
Interested? See the details in the comments. (1/3)
🧠🤖
Funded by @ivado.bsky.social and in collaboration with the IVADO regroupement 1 (AI and Neuroscience: ivado.ca/en/regroupem...).
Interested? See the details in the comments. (1/3)
🧠🤖
AI and Neuroscience | IVADO
ivado.ca
November 7, 2025 at 1:52 PM
I’m looking for interns to join our lab for a project on foundation models in neuroscience.
Funded by @ivado.bsky.social and in collaboration with the IVADO regroupement 1 (AI and Neuroscience: ivado.ca/en/regroupem...).
Interested? See the details in the comments. (1/3)
🧠🤖
Funded by @ivado.bsky.social and in collaboration with the IVADO regroupement 1 (AI and Neuroscience: ivado.ca/en/regroupem...).
Interested? See the details in the comments. (1/3)
🧠🤖
The future of Canadian research
November 6, 2025 at 10:59 PM
The future of Canadian research
Reposted by Pouya Bashivan 🇮🇷🇨🇦
Great Blueprint from @arnaghosh.bsky.social on our newest paper on representational geometry!
tl;dr: we find that during pretraining LLMs undergo consistent cycles of expansion/recuction in the dimensionality of their representations & these cycles correlate with the emergence of new capabilities.
tl;dr: we find that during pretraining LLMs undergo consistent cycles of expansion/recuction in the dimensionality of their representations & these cycles correlate with the emergence of new capabilities.
LLMs are trained to compress data by mapping sequences to high-dim representations!
How does the complexity of this mapping change across LLM training? How does it relate to the model’s capabilities? 🤔
Announcing our #NeurIPS2025 📄 that dives into this.
🧵below
#AIResearch #MachineLearning #LLM
How does the complexity of this mapping change across LLM training? How does it relate to the model’s capabilities? 🤔
Announcing our #NeurIPS2025 📄 that dives into this.
🧵below
#AIResearch #MachineLearning #LLM
October 31, 2025 at 4:37 PM
Great Blueprint from @arnaghosh.bsky.social on our newest paper on representational geometry!
tl;dr: we find that during pretraining LLMs undergo consistent cycles of expansion/recuction in the dimensionality of their representations & these cycles correlate with the emergence of new capabilities.
tl;dr: we find that during pretraining LLMs undergo consistent cycles of expansion/recuction in the dimensionality of their representations & these cycles correlate with the emergence of new capabilities.
This sounds like a foundation model for C elegans. Great idea in principle!
Cracking the worm would provide a test bed for how molecular recipes generate neural physiology. And it would allow us to understand how neurons work together to yield emergent brain functions, write @kordinglab.bsky.social and @eboyden3.bsky.social.
www.thetransmitter.org/computationa...
www.thetransmitter.org/computationa...
Whole-brain, bottom-up neuroscience: The time for it is now
Applying new tools to entire brains, starting with C. elegans, offers the opportunity to uncover how molecules work together to generate neural physiology and how neurons work together to generate…
www.thetransmitter.org
October 29, 2025 at 12:04 PM
This sounds like a foundation model for C elegans. Great idea in principle!
Great opportunity to do a postdoc in Canada
🔷 Launch of the IVADO 2026 Postdoctoral Research Funding Program for outstanding national and international postdoctoral researchers.
More info: ivado.ca/en/scholarsh...
#AI #ArtificialIntelligence #R3AI #Funding #Postdoc
More info: ivado.ca/en/scholarsh...
#AI #ArtificialIntelligence #R3AI #Funding #Postdoc
October 27, 2025 at 4:41 PM
Great opportunity to do a postdoc in Canada
For obvious reasons… congrats @yoshuabengio.bsky.social
Congratulations to @yoshuabengio.bsky.social , founder and scientific advisor of Mila, who has become the first researcher in the world to surpass one million citations on Google Scholar, the leading platform for academic and scientific research.
mila.quebec/en/news/ai-r...
mila.quebec/en/news/ai-r...
October 27, 2025 at 3:36 PM
For obvious reasons… congrats @yoshuabengio.bsky.social
Despite the negative feelings about this, I sense some complementary metric like this that measures leadership vs collaboration would be very informative
This is such a horrifically bad idea that I don't even know where to begin.
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Oh wait, yes I do. I wrote a whole article about it last year: www.thetransmitter.org/publishing/a...
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Oh wait, yes I do. I wrote a whole article about it last year: www.thetransmitter.org/publishing/a...
Google Scholar tool gives extra credit to first and last authors
Researchers welcome the initiative, but say it doesn’t go far enough to capture the nuance of researcher productivity and impact.
www.nature.com
October 27, 2025 at 11:51 AM
Despite the negative feelings about this, I sense some complementary metric like this that measures leadership vs collaboration would be very informative
Reposted by Pouya Bashivan 🇮🇷🇨🇦
Excellent funding opportunity: $100k/year for two years for a postdoc position in Montreal. Apply if you're interested in joining Montreal's thriving #NeuroAI ecosystem.
🔷 Launch of the IVADO 2026 Postdoctoral Research Funding Program for outstanding national and international postdoctoral researchers.
More info: ivado.ca/en/scholarsh...
#AI #ArtificialIntelligence #R3AI #Funding #Postdoc
More info: ivado.ca/en/scholarsh...
#AI #ArtificialIntelligence #R3AI #Funding #Postdoc
October 16, 2025 at 3:34 PM
Excellent funding opportunity: $100k/year for two years for a postdoc position in Montreal. Apply if you're interested in joining Montreal's thriving #NeuroAI ecosystem.
Reposted by Pouya Bashivan 🇮🇷🇨🇦
BIG ANNOUNCEMENT📣: I haven’t been this excited to be part of something new in 15 years… Thrilled to reveal the passion project I’ve been working on for the past year and a half!🙀🥳 (thread 👇)
October 15, 2025 at 12:22 PM
BIG ANNOUNCEMENT📣: I haven’t been this excited to be part of something new in 15 years… Thrilled to reveal the passion project I’ve been working on for the past year and a half!🙀🥳 (thread 👇)
Consider applying to Mila if you are interested in NeuroAI! There is a great line up of profs working in that area.
P.s. I also have an opening for a PhD student in my lab for Fall 2026.
P.s. I also have an opening for a PhD student in my lab for Fall 2026.
Mila's annual supervision request process is now open to receive MSc and PhD applications for Fall 2026 admission! For more information, visit mila.quebec/en/prospecti...
October 15, 2025 at 7:02 PM
Consider applying to Mila if you are interested in NeuroAI! There is a great line up of profs working in that area.
P.s. I also have an opening for a PhD student in my lab for Fall 2026.
P.s. I also have an opening for a PhD student in my lab for Fall 2026.
Reposted by Pouya Bashivan 🇮🇷🇨🇦
Come join us at University of Toronto. We're hiring a Professor of computational cognitive neuroscience.
#neuroAI #compneuro jobs.utoronto.ca/job/Toronto-...
#neuroAI #compneuro jobs.utoronto.ca/job/Toronto-...
Professor - Computational Cognitive Neuroscience
Professor - Computational Cognitive Neuroscience
jobs.utoronto.ca
September 5, 2025 at 8:22 AM
Come join us at University of Toronto. We're hiring a Professor of computational cognitive neuroscience.
#neuroAI #compneuro jobs.utoronto.ca/job/Toronto-...
#neuroAI #compneuro jobs.utoronto.ca/job/Toronto-...
Reposted by Pouya Bashivan 🇮🇷🇨🇦
If you work on artificial or natural intelligence and are finishing your PhD, consider applying for a Kempner research fellowship at Harvard:
kempnerinstitute.harvard.edu/kempner-inst...
kempnerinstitute.harvard.edu/kempner-inst...
Kempner Research Fellowship - Kempner Institute
The Kempner brings leading, early-stage postdoctoral scientists to Harvard to work on projects that advance the fundamental understanding of intelligence.
kempnerinstitute.harvard.edu
August 18, 2025 at 5:27 PM
If you work on artificial or natural intelligence and are finishing your PhD, consider applying for a Kempner research fellowship at Harvard:
kempnerinstitute.harvard.edu/kempner-inst...
kempnerinstitute.harvard.edu/kempner-inst...
Reposted by Pouya Bashivan 🇮🇷🇨🇦
New position paper! We argue that symbolic and neural network models are not in opposition to each other, but occupy different levels of analysis, and also outline a new research agenda for better understanding the relationship between them. Please check out the paper / thread for more details!
🤖 🧠 NEW PAPER ON COGSCI & AI 🧠 🤖
Recent neural networks capture properties long thought to require symbols: compositionality, productivity, rapid learning
So what role should symbols play in theories of the mind? For our answer...read on!
Paper: arxiv.org/abs/2508.05776
1/n
Recent neural networks capture properties long thought to require symbols: compositionality, productivity, rapid learning
So what role should symbols play in theories of the mind? For our answer...read on!
Paper: arxiv.org/abs/2508.05776
1/n
August 15, 2025 at 4:40 PM
New position paper! We argue that symbolic and neural network models are not in opposition to each other, but occupy different levels of analysis, and also outline a new research agenda for better understanding the relationship between them. Please check out the paper / thread for more details!
We’ll be at CCN next week with two posters, one contributed talk and one satellite talk! If you are interested in neural coding in primate hippocampus, modeling visual search, or cortical topography come and talk to us! See👇for details:
August 9, 2025 at 5:14 PM
We’ll be at CCN next week with two posters, one contributed talk and one satellite talk! If you are interested in neural coding in primate hippocampus, modeling visual search, or cortical topography come and talk to us! See👇for details:
Went over the Centaur paper in lab meeting today. I got stuck on this plot, thinking initially the small difference between Llama and Centaur is bothering me. But the real issue hit me an hour later... Each layer's neural similarity is with the **whole** brain! No single layer is expected to sim 🧠
July 15, 2025 at 8:38 PM
Went over the Centaur paper in lab meeting today. I got stuck on this plot, thinking initially the small difference between Llama and Centaur is bothering me. But the real issue hit me an hour later... Each layer's neural similarity is with the **whole** brain! No single layer is expected to sim 🧠
Grant reviewer on my proposal for using DNNs to model working memory: “The ability to yield new information is very limited because WM circuits have already been abundantly specified in clinical and preclinical studies.” So, it’s entirely solved now, eh? How long did I sleep last night?
July 10, 2025 at 2:13 PM
Grant reviewer on my proposal for using DNNs to model working memory: “The ability to yield new information is very limited because WM circuits have already been abundantly specified in clinical and preclinical studies.” So, it’s entirely solved now, eh? How long did I sleep last night?
Reposted by Pouya Bashivan 🇮🇷🇨🇦
Huge congratulations to @silicolabs.bsky.social on this achievement.
Excited about this collaboration on visuomotor learning in VR.
We also have some funding available for graduate students interested in doing research in this area. Reach out if you're interested.
🧠📈 🧠🤖 #VisionScience
Excited about this collaboration on visuomotor learning in VR.
We also have some funding available for graduate students interested in doing research in this area. Reach out if you're interested.
🧠📈 🧠🤖 #VisionScience
We're thrilled to announce we're recipients of the QC Science Impact Grant by Esplanade Québec & Fonds de recherche du Québec! This $10,000 grant supports a collaborative research project with Dr. @shahabbakht.bsky.social.
esplanade.quebec/16-entrepris...
esplanade.quebec/16-entrepris...
Les lauréat.e.s du programme Science Impact- Esplanade Québec
Grâce aux FRQ, des bourses de 10 000 $ ont été remises à des startups souhaitant réaliser des projets de recherche.
esplanade.quebec
July 9, 2025 at 4:18 PM
Huge congratulations to @silicolabs.bsky.social on this achievement.
Excited about this collaboration on visuomotor learning in VR.
We also have some funding available for graduate students interested in doing research in this area. Reach out if you're interested.
🧠📈 🧠🤖 #VisionScience
Excited about this collaboration on visuomotor learning in VR.
We also have some funding available for graduate students interested in doing research in this area. Reach out if you're interested.
🧠📈 🧠🤖 #VisionScience
Self supervised learning of spatial representations from episodic memories. Led by undergraduate student in my lab. Very proud!
🧠 Can a neural network build a spatial map from scattered episodic experiences like humans do?
We introduce the Episodic Spatial World Model (ESWM)—a model that constructs flexible internal world models from sparse, disjoint memories.
🧵👇 [1/12]
We introduce the Episodic Spatial World Model (ESWM)—a model that constructs flexible internal world models from sparse, disjoint memories.
🧵👇 [1/12]
June 28, 2025 at 11:19 AM
Self supervised learning of spatial representations from episodic memories. Led by undergraduate student in my lab. Very proud!
Reposted by Pouya Bashivan 🇮🇷🇨🇦
Announcement: Workshop at #CCN2025
🧠 Modeling the Physical Brain: Spatial Organization & Biophysical Constraints
🗓️ Monday, Aug 11 | 🕦 11:30–18:00 CET | 📍 Room A2.07
🔗 Register: tinyurl.com/CCN-physical...
#NeuroAI @cogcompneuro.bsky.social
🧠 Modeling the Physical Brain: Spatial Organization & Biophysical Constraints
🗓️ Monday, Aug 11 | 🕦 11:30–18:00 CET | 📍 Room A2.07
🔗 Register: tinyurl.com/CCN-physical...
#NeuroAI @cogcompneuro.bsky.social
Home
tinyurl.com
May 27, 2025 at 2:44 PM
Announcement: Workshop at #CCN2025
🧠 Modeling the Physical Brain: Spatial Organization & Biophysical Constraints
🗓️ Monday, Aug 11 | 🕦 11:30–18:00 CET | 📍 Room A2.07
🔗 Register: tinyurl.com/CCN-physical...
#NeuroAI @cogcompneuro.bsky.social
🧠 Modeling the Physical Brain: Spatial Organization & Biophysical Constraints
🗓️ Monday, Aug 11 | 🕦 11:30–18:00 CET | 📍 Room A2.07
🔗 Register: tinyurl.com/CCN-physical...
#NeuroAI @cogcompneuro.bsky.social
If you are at #ICLR2025 and interested in topographic neural networks, come by @amirozhan.bsky.social 's poster. See the info below!
I’ll be at @iclr-conf.bsky.social presenting our work “Credit-based self organizing maps: training deep topographic networks with minimal performance degradation” — if you're into #NeuroAI, cortical topography, vision, or just up for a good convo, drop by and DM me! 🧠✨
April 24, 2025 at 6:12 PM
If you are at #ICLR2025 and interested in topographic neural networks, come by @amirozhan.bsky.social 's poster. See the info below!
Reposted by Pouya Bashivan 🇮🇷🇨🇦
A point of pride for me was publishing a paper with a meme as a graphical abstract in a journal that dates back to 1878:
physoc.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
This is apparently a #TopViewedArticle, so the achievement got the recognition it deserves! 😅
CC @kordinglab.bsky.social
physoc.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
This is apparently a #TopViewedArticle, so the achievement got the recognition it deserves! 😅
CC @kordinglab.bsky.social
The study of plasticity has always been about gradients
Abstract figure legend This figure illustrates our central point in this paper using a well-known meme. That central point is that the physiological study of synaptic plasticity and learning has alwa...
physoc.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
April 16, 2025 at 12:55 PM
A point of pride for me was publishing a paper with a meme as a graphical abstract in a journal that dates back to 1878:
physoc.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
This is apparently a #TopViewedArticle, so the achievement got the recognition it deserves! 😅
CC @kordinglab.bsky.social
physoc.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
This is apparently a #TopViewedArticle, so the achievement got the recognition it deserves! 😅
CC @kordinglab.bsky.social
Reposted by Pouya Bashivan 🇮🇷🇨🇦
Don’t let Poilievre crush your CBC crush!
From Paul Gross to Peter Mansbridge, Catherine O’Hara to the Levys—CBC has brought us icons we’ve loved for decades.
Lose CBC, lose the crushes.
#SaveTheCBC #CBCrushed #OurVoiceOurCBC #CdnPoli #PublicBroadcasting
From Paul Gross to Peter Mansbridge, Catherine O’Hara to the Levys—CBC has brought us icons we’ve loved for decades.
Lose CBC, lose the crushes.
#SaveTheCBC #CBCrushed #OurVoiceOurCBC #CdnPoli #PublicBroadcasting
April 6, 2025 at 6:31 PM
Don’t let Poilievre crush your CBC crush!
From Paul Gross to Peter Mansbridge, Catherine O’Hara to the Levys—CBC has brought us icons we’ve loved for decades.
Lose CBC, lose the crushes.
#SaveTheCBC #CBCrushed #OurVoiceOurCBC #CdnPoli #PublicBroadcasting
From Paul Gross to Peter Mansbridge, Catherine O’Hara to the Levys—CBC has brought us icons we’ve loved for decades.
Lose CBC, lose the crushes.
#SaveTheCBC #CBCrushed #OurVoiceOurCBC #CdnPoli #PublicBroadcasting
Reposted by Pouya Bashivan 🇮🇷🇨🇦
Renowned neuroscientist Melanie Woodin has been named #UofT’s 17th president — and asks the community to join in her in “dreaming big.” #UofT alumna Woodin starts her five-year term July 1st. ➡️ uoft.me/uoftpres17
March 27, 2025 at 6:00 PM
Renowned neuroscientist Melanie Woodin has been named #UofT’s 17th president — and asks the community to join in her in “dreaming big.” #UofT alumna Woodin starts her five-year term July 1st. ➡️ uoft.me/uoftpres17
At #COSYNE2025? Come by Motahareh's poster at 1pm [2-089] if you like to know about how cool her NN model of visual search is! Trained de novo on visual search, its fast, efficient, mimics human behaviour, and has a beautiful neural geometry.
March 28, 2025 at 2:06 PM
At #COSYNE2025? Come by Motahareh's poster at 1pm [2-089] if you like to know about how cool her NN model of visual search is! Trained de novo on visual search, its fast, efficient, mimics human behaviour, and has a beautiful neural geometry.
Check out our new paper on making deep networks topographical with a new variant of SOMs! Very proud of @amirozhan.bsky.social who did this work as an undergrad!
March 10, 2025 at 3:57 PM
Check out our new paper on making deep networks topographical with a new variant of SOMs! Very proud of @amirozhan.bsky.social who did this work as an undergrad!